Improved floats for boats



N-PETERS, PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER wAsruNGTDN o c UNITED STATES ALONZO TrBOON,OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO IIIMSELF AND J. SCOTT RIOHMAN, -OFIVIUSOATINE, IOWA.

IMPROVED FLOATS FOR BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,775, dated April 10,1866.

To all whom et may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO T. BooN, of the city of Galesburg, and countyof Knox, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of onehalf of a platform or base on which the boat is built, resting on ioatsor buoys. The other halt' is a sectionalview, as indicated by theright-angled line x y in Fig. 2,. Fig. 2 is a bottom view, showingposition of four adjustable buoys or floats in their relation to theplatform or base.

Like letters in both figures of the drawings indicate like parts.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction ot' four or morebuoys or ioats, or boats of a suitably-constructed shape, with keels,and made perfectly water tight, properly arranged and attached to thebottom ot'a base or platform, on which the superstructure of a vessel orother craft is built, by means of hinges with easy-fitting joints, bywhich they are made adjustable so as to accommodate themselves to theroughness of the water or glide over whatever obstructions there may bein the way, the said buoys or floats being attached for the purpose ofobtaining light draft for shallow rivers, as well as speed, and at thesaine time to prevent their careening one side too much, as is often thecasein rough weather or from the said vessel, Src., being too heavilyladenI` enabling the same, with the same burden, to draw less draft ofwater than others.

To enable any one skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents the platform or base on which the superstructure of thevessel or other craft is built 5 B, the buoys or floats. They areconstructed with water-tight compartments b, and, if desired, made of aspindle shape or sharp form to attain speed, as represented in the guresof the drawings. Other forms, however, may be more desirable.

C is the keels. They extend from the top of the buoys to a little belowtheir bottom surface and a suitable distance in their rear and front.

The buoys or floats are built in the most substantial manner, and ofsuch material known in boat or ship building. On each side of them,about the center, are ears c, which are pivoted to plates d, properlybolted to the platform, forming a hinge in their connection, the objectof which is to allow a rocking motion to the buoys or oats, so as tocorrespond to the rocking or rough motion ofthe water, thereby makingthem adaptable to any condition of the water caused by tempestuousweather 5 and not only this, but where obstructions are frequently metwith-as, for instance, in the Mississippi and Missouri riversthetendency of the buoys is to glide over them.

It will be observed that the forward ends of the keels of the rear buoysare placed a little in advance of the rear ends of the keels of thefront ones, to prevent the formation of an eddy at this point, whichwould be otherwise the case were they placed alittle apart in line, andthus impede somewhat the speed of the boat.

D are stout india-rubber springs, properly secured under the bottom ofthe platform, one over each front and rear end of the buoys, whereby, inthe event of a too violent action of the water upon the buoys, or fromother causes, the interposition of the india-rubber springs preventstheir ends thumping against the bottom of the platform, thus obviatin gany unpleasant noise, besides wear and tear, that might otherwiseoriginate, the elasticity of the rubber on the buoys striking upwardrelieving the concussion and sending them gently downward.

It will thus be seen from the construction and arrangement of the boatsor buoys and their adj ustability, as described, that the effect of fouror more of them will be to displacea less amount of water than theentire surface of a vessel or large boat would, and being perfectlywater and air tight, and independent of each other in their action fromthe action ofy the water, a vessel of this description, with the sameamount of tonnage as others withont the buoys or oats, will carry thesame burden and draw less Water, thus enabling arrangement andattaehnientto the platform the same to be used to a better advantage inA, substantially in the manner and for the shallow rivers. purpose asherein set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, f What I claim therein as new,and desire to se- ALONZO l" BOON' eure by Letters Patent, is- Vitnesses:

The adjustability of the buoys or oats B J. SCOTT RICHMAN, by means ofthe ears c and plates d and their XV. A. VOOD.

